slawienski



' Feb. 5. 1924.

' 1,482,870 M. SLAWIENSKI I STREET OR STATION INDICATOR Filed March 2. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. SLAWIENSKI STREET 0R STATION INDICATOR Filed March 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES MIKE SLAWIENSKI, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

STREET 0R STATION INDICATOR.

Application filed March 2, 1923. Serial No. 622,238.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, MIKE SLAWIENSKI, a citizen of Poland, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Street or Station Indicator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a street or station indicator, which is particularlfy adapted for use on trolley cars, and has or its primary object to provide an exceedingly simple and effective device of this character which may be actuated in either direction over a given route without having to be reset.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for indicating streets or stations along a car route which includes two rolls or drums having a flexible strip of suitable material or apron wound thereon with the ends fixed thereto so as to be transferred from one to the other, one of said rolls being spring actuated to revolve such roll in one direction, said other roll being revoluble either manually or by the action of winding the apron on said spring actuated roll and an actuating mechanism operating in conjunction with a double ratchet carried by the shaft of the free roll to cause the apron to be wound upon the desired roll.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the character men tioned a spring actuated roll, a complementary free roll, a tape fixed to and wound upon said rolls for transfer from one to the other, a double ratchet wheel on the shaft of the free roll, a spring actuated lever carrying a spring actuated dog for coaction with one portion-of the ratchet wheel to revolve the free roll or drum in one direction which operation will wind the spring connected with the roll, a check pawl to prevent retrograde movement of the rolls and another lever carrying means to disengage the lever pawl and the check pawl from the ratchet wheel to permit a retrograde movement of the rolls and further carrying means to temporarily limit said retrograde movement.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which t Fig. 1, is a perspective view of a street or stat-ion indicator embodying my invention a portion of the housing for the operating mechanism being broken away to show said mechanism.

Fig. 2, is an end view on a reduced scale of the device looking at the far end as shown in Fig. 1 with the spring housing removed and a portion of the main casing broken away to illustrate the relative posi tions of the rolls.

Fig. 3, is an enlarged fragmentary end view of the main casing illustrating the arrangement and location of the operating mechanism.

Fig. 4, is a similar view with the progressive operating lever removed.

Fig. 5, is an edge view of Fig. 3 with a portion of the end wall of the main casing shown in section.

Fig. 6, is an upper end or plan view of the progressive operating lever and its component parts.

Fig. 7, is a similar view of the retrograde operating lever.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, 2 represents the main casing or body of my improved street or station indicator and may be of any suitable or desirable shape and size having a sight opening 3 in its front wall through which the names of the stations or streets indicated by the numeral 4 may be readily seen, said names being delineated upon the flexible strip of material or apron 5 the ends of said apron being fixed to the 'rolls 6 and 7 located within the main casing or body of the indicator and this apron or strip of material is of such length as to be wound upon the rolls, and carry the names of the streets or stations throughout a complete car route.

The roll 7 is fixed to a shaft 8 suitably journalled within the main casing, as in the end walls thereof, with one end projecting beyond the end wall of the casing and on said projecting end is fixed a pinion 9 meshing with a gear 10 actuated by the spring 11 in the same manner as the main spring of a clock so that the tension of said spring may be increased by means of the key 12 without disturbing the other parts. The details of connection between the spring, arbor, gear 10 and its shaft have not been fully described because the construction is well known and may be found in any ordinary clock so that it will only be necessary to determine the proper size that will properly actuate the rolls. The spring and its component parts may be housed by an enclosure 14 detachably mounted upon the main casing 2.

The roll 6 is lixed to a shaft 15 which is also suitably jtuirnalled within the easing, as in the end walls thereof, with one end projecting beyond the casing which is prefcrz'lbly the end opposite that where the spring 11 is located and this projecting cud may carry a liIlOl') 16 for revolving the shaft if so desired. On the shaft 15, preferably that end which projects beyond the casing, is fixed a ratchet wheel 17 preferably having two sets of ratchets or teeth,

. one set being numbered 18, 19, 20 and 21 and the other set being numbered 22, 23, 24 and 25. I

Viththe ratchet teeth 18 to 21 inclusive is adapted to cooperate a primary pawl or dog 26 pivoted as at 27 to the primary operating lever 28 journalled concentric with the shaft 15 andpreferably thereon. The nose of the pawl is normally held in engage ment with the ratchet wheel by means of a spring 29 carri'ed by the lever 28 here shown as having its fixed end coiled about a pjijn 30 and then passing beneath a pin 31. The lever 28 is preferably formed in two sections adjustably fastened together by means of ascrew 32 and a thumb nut whereby the outer free end may be adjusted relative to the main or body portion of the lever to change the throw of the outer free end of said lever and said lever is also provided with an extension 34 to which is fastened one end of a springBS the other end of said spring being fastened to an anchoring .xneans 3b such as a pin or its equivalent and this spring will return the lever 28 to its normal position such as is shown, in Fig. 3, and when in this position it may be arrested by means of the stop 37 while its movement in the opposite direction will be regulated by a stop 38.

From the foregoing it will be seen that each time the upper free end of the lever 28 is actuated by means of a flexible actuating element 39 such as a cord or its equivalent the ratchet wheel 17 will be rotate'd and cause the roll 6 to rotate so as to wind a portion of the flexible strip or apron 5 on said roll and at thesame time unwind a portion from the roll 7 thus carrying the station indication which has been in view away from the sight opening 3 and at the same time moving another street indication into View. Such action will wind the spring 11 so that the tension of said spring upon the roll 6 through the medium of the apron and the other roll will be increased, and to prevent retrograde movement of the ratchet wheel and therefore the rolls I provide a check pawl 40 the nose of which is adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 23 to 25 inclusive and is pivoted as at 41. Said pawl is held in normal engagement with the ratchet wheel by means of a spring 42 one end of which is attached to the upper arm of the check pawl and the other end to an anchoring device 43 such as a pin or its equivalent.

In order to provide for moving the rolls in a reverse direction through the medium of the spring l1 the primary pawl 26 must be disengaged from the ratchet wheel at times and therefore I provide said primary pawl with a heel 44 adapted to be engaged by a lug 45 carried by the secondary operating lever 46 iv oted as at 47 and normally held in t 'e position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 by a spring 48 one end of which is attached to the extension 49 of said lever while the other end is fastened to a suitable anchorage member 50 such as a pin or its equivalent and when in this position said lever is arrested by a stop 51. The lever 46 carries a prong 52 which is projectedinto the path of travel of the rate ct teeth 22 to 25 inclusive when said secondary op erating lever is actuated and this lever also carries a finger 53 for coaction with the check pawl 40 to disengage said pawl from the teeth of the ratchet as the secondary operating lever is actuated through the medium of an operatin member 54 such as a cord or its equiva ent having one endattached to the upper free end of said secondary lever and the movement of the secondary lever by means of the operating.

member 54 is limited by a stop 55 and in order that said secondary operating lever will pass the check pawl at least a portion thereof musl be offset as plainly shown in Fig. 5. I

After the flexible strip or apron 5 has been partially or wholly wound upon the roll 6 in the manner hereinbefore described and which action has wound the spring 11 it may be actuated in the reverse direction by simply operating the secondary operating lever 46 which action will simultaneously disengage the pawls 26 and 40 from the ratchet wheel and move the prong 52 into the path of travel of the teeth of said ratchet wheel so that as the spring 11 rotates the roll? to wind the apron thereon and unwind the apron from the roll 6 the latter roll will be rotated thus likewise rotating its shaft and the ratchet wheel thereon until one of the teeth contact with the prong 52 which will temporarily arrest the rotation of the rolls after they have moved a portion of one step but as soon as the outside force on the secondary operating lever 46 is removed said lever will be returned to its normal position by the spring 48 causing the prong 52 to be withdrawn from the ratchet wheel but as the secondary operating lever returns to its normal position the pressure exerted by the lug 45 and finger 53 was relieved from the respective pawls 26 and 40 so that their springs return them into engagement with the ratchet wheel so that both are in the path of travel of the ratchet teeth and when the ratchet has completed the rotation of one step it will be stopped thereby.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the primary operating lever 28 is actuated by its operating means 39 the primary pawl 26' being in engagement with the tooth 18 will cause the ratchet wheel 17 to be rotated a partial revolution or until such time as the extension 34 of the primary operating lever engages the stop 38 and this movement will cause the tooth 22 to be moved away from the check pawl 40 until said pawl engages the next succeeding tooth 23 when the force exerted upon the primary operating lever through means of the member 39 may be relieved and said operating lever will be returned to its normal position and the pawl 26 will engage the tooth 19 ready for the next movement and this operation may be carried out periodically until the apron or flexible strip of material has been entirely unwound from the roll 7 and wound upon the roll 6 and therefore the streets or stations throughout an entire car route may be readily indicated.

Considering that the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4 at the time the apron has been entirely wound upon the roll 6 and the route of the car is reversed then to actuate the device the secondary operating lever 46 is rotated by means of the member 54 which will move the prong 52 into the path of travel of the tooth 23 and at the same time disengage the pawls 2G and 40 from their respective ratchet teeth 18 and 22 permitting the ratchet wheel 17 to rotate until the tooth 23 engages the prong 52 and as soon as the force exerted upon the secondary operating lever is released the prong 52 will be disengaged from the tooth 23 and at the same time the pawls 26 and 40 will be allowed to return to their normal positions in engagement with the ratchet wheel and as said ratchet wheel moves a further distance due to the withdrawal of the prong 52 from the tooth 23 the teeth 21 and will be brought into contact with the pawls 26 and respectively thus stopping further movement of the ratchet until one of the operating levers is again actuated.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus: fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. A street or station indicator including a pair of rolls, an apron bearing street or station indications wound upon said rolls with their ends fixed to the rolls, a spring for rotating one of the rolls and rotating the other roll through the medium of the apron, a ratchet wheel associated with the other roll, a check pawl co-operating with the ratchet wheel to prevent retrograde movement of the rolls, a primary operating lever, a primary pawl pivoted to said lever and coacting with the ratchet wheel to advance the same, and means to temporarily disengage the primary and the check pawls from the ratchet wheel to permit a retrograde movement thereof.

2. A street or station indicator including a pair of rolls, an apron bearing street or station indications wound upon said rolls with their ends fixed to the rolls, a spring for rotating one of the rolls and rotating the other roll through the medium of the apron, a ratchet wheel associated with the other roll, a check pawl cooperating with the ratchet wheel to prevent retrograde movement of the rolls, a primary operating lever, a primary pawl pivoted to said lever and coacting with the ratchet wheel to advance the same, a pivoted secondary operating lever, means carried by said secondary lever to disengage the primary pawl from the ratchet wheel, other means carried by said secondary lever to disengage the check pawl from the ratchet wheel, the disengagement of said pawls from the ratchet permitting a retrograde movement of the rolls due to the action of the spring connected with one of said rolls, and means carried by the secondary lever to engage the ratchet wheel to temporarily stop said ratchet wheel during a partial rotary step.

3. A indicator of the class described comprising a spring actuated roll, a free roll, an apron having its ends fixed to said rolls and adapted to be wound thereon, a ratchet wheel associated with the free roll, a spring actuated check pawl to normally prevent action of the spring actuated roll, a spring actuated primary operating lever, a spring actuated pawl pivoted to said lever and coacting with the ratchet wheel for winding the apron on the free roll and thereby unwinding the same from the spring actuated roll which action increases the tension of the spring, a spring actuated secondary operating lever, means carried by the secondary lever to free the spring actuated primary pawl from the ratchet wheel, means also carried by said secondary lever to free the check pawl from the ratchet wheel, the freeing of said pawls from the ratchet wheel III permibting the spring actuated 1-011 torevolve for winding the apron in an reverse direction, other means carried b the seeondery lever for project-ion into the path of travel of the teeth ef the ratchet wheel whereby the io'li's will rotate only a portion of a step equal to the distance between the teeth of the ratchet wheel; and a separate means connected to each eq-Je'rating lever whereby the seine may be nmnually actuated.

In a device of the character stated, the combination of e eats-in having a sight opening in one of its *si e walls, a pair of complementary rol lis located within the easin-g, shfafits on which said rolls are fixed j otitna'lled Within the casing and having the opposite end of each projecting through the ends of the casing and spring connectedwith the projecting end of one of the shatts whereby the foil fixeci on said shnft wii'l.

1 ,eeegcro benormally rotated in one direction, 3 flexible apron attached to-said rolls and adapted to be wound thereon and passing across the sight opening between said roiis wherehy indications on said apron wiil be visible through the sight opening, ratchet Wheel on the projecting end of the other sharft,

primary actuating means associated with action of the spring, and means for temporarily releasing said checking means and the primary actuating means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto efli'xed my signature.

MIKE SLAWIENSKI. 

